Label applying mechanism



Dec. 27, 1949 G, w, VON HOPE 2,492,908

LABEL APPLYING MECHANISM Filed March 22, 1947 HTT'ORNEYS Patented Dec. 27, 1949 LABEL APPLYING MECHANISM George W. von Hofe, Bound Brook, N. J., assignor to New Jersey Machine Corporation, Hoboken, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey lApplication March 22, 1947, Serial No. 736,571

' 12 claims.' (ci. 21e-55) The invention relates to labeling machines or the like, and more particularly to improved mechanism for adhesively applying to articles, sheets Aof material provided with an adhesive coating on one surface, such as, labels, wrappers, etc. The invention can be utilized in the application of sheets provided with coatings of the usual type of adhesives, but is particularly advantageous in the application of sheets provided with a thermoactivatable adhesive coating.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel and simple mechanism which is so constructed that it can be readily adapted to the transfer and application to articles of adhesive coated sheets having widely varying surface configurations and dimensions.

Other objects f the invention, as well as the novel features of construction thereof, will appear from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig'. 1 is a diagrammatic view, partly in section, illustrating one manner in which the invention may be utilized; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a suction transfer head embodying the features of the invention; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the sheet applying face of the suction head; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the sheet applying portion of a modified form of suction head; Fig. 5 is a plan view of another form of control shim which may be` employed inthe practice of the invention, and Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the applying portionV ofV the suction head in still another form.

The sheet applying machine, as such, may be of any well-known type, such as, the labeling machine described and illustrated in the Von Hofe Patent No. 2,227,816, issued January 7, 1941. In such a machine, there is provided a transfer means for the labels in the form of a suction head which successively carries labels from a source of supply to the labeling applying station of the machine. At the label applying station, the suction head is lowered to apply the label carried thereby to the article, the suction in the head being socontrolled, that when the label is disposed on the article, such suction is released. As is ,shown in Fig. l of the drawings, the mechanism for accomplishing this operation may include a carriage I0 which is slidably mounted on a rail II and is reciprocated on such rail by mechanism exemplified by the rod I2 and the arm I3, such rod I2 being pivotally connected at I4 with the carriage II) and at I5 with the arm I 3. A member or plunger I6 is mounted on the carable means in properly timed relation with the associated elements, and at its lower end, carries the transfer device or suction head generally designated I1. In the operation of this mechanism. the carriage I0 is reciprocated on the rail II to carry the suction transfer head I'I between the pick-up station I8 where a label is picked up and the label applying station where such label is applied to the article for which it is intended, the article being mounted at such label applying -station on a suitable support, such as, for example, the article supporting means designated Il in Fig. 1 of the drawings. It will be understood that in the operation of this mechanism, the member or plunger I6 is operatively controlled to correspondingly control the operative steps of the suction head I'I.

In practicing the present invention, the labels may be any desired form, such as, the bell-shaped form indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 3 of the drawings and may have any desired surface dimensions. The labels may either be fed from a supply stack directly to the label applying station such as is disclosed in my copending applinow Patent No. 2,489,837, for Art of adhesively attaching labels and other sheets to articles, or connected in the form of a continuous web A which is wound into a roll 2I so that the surfaces thereof to which is applied the thermoplastic adhesive coating, is disposed to the periphery of such roll, as is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. In the illustrated form of the invention, the roll 2| is supported by a shaft 22 which is mounted in the machine in any convenient manner to permit the roll 2I to unwind during the operation of the machine. The web A is fed toward the pickup station Ill in any suitable manner, as by feed rollers 23, 23 operated intermittently in steps de- 40 pendent upon and corresponding towthe longitudinal dimension of the labels. At the pick-up or label transfer station I8, the machine is provided with a support 24 over which the web is fed, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the web being transversely cut by suitable operating means 25, 25 to separate the individual terminal labels A' from the web A. The arrangement and operation of the feeding and cutting mechanism is such that the individual terminal labels A" are 5o deposited on the support 24 in accurate label receiving relation with the suction transfer head I'I. When so positioned on the support 24, the

athermoplastic coating of the severed label rests I on such support and overlies a. plurality of perriage for vertical reciprocation thereon by suit- 56 forations or air vents provided in the supporting cation Serial No. 628,481, filed November 14, 1945,

surface 26 of the support 24 and communicating with a chamber' 21 formed' within such support. The chamber 21 is connected by means of a tube 28 with a source of air. Suitable means are provided to control the air supply to the chamber 21 of the support and consequently its exit through the vents in the surface 26 in any suitable manner so as to provide a condition of suction in such chamber after the feed rolls 23, 23 have delivered a label A' to the support 24 and during the period of operation of the cutting members 25, 25 to hold the label A in position on such support during such operation, and to deliver compressed air into such chamber 21 to blow the deposited label A' into contact with the suction head |1 when the latter is properly positioned in an atrest position just above such label. The suction in the head |1 is controlled by properly timed valving means of any suitable type so that at the time the label is transferred by air pressure from the supporting surface 26` to the suction head I1, suction will be effective in such head to maintain the label A properly in position thereon and until the latter is deposited on an article. As is shown more clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the suction head |1 comprises a main body portion or metal plate 30 provided at its lower end with a dove-tailed seat which extends centrally between the ends of the plate and transverseiy of the suction head's path of travel between the pick-up and labeling applying stations. Formed in the upper surface 3| of the dove-tailed seat is a recess 32 having predetermined dimensions and shape, the same being determined in part by the surface area of the' largest label which the head is designed to carry. The recess 32 is connected by a passageway formed in the upper portion of plate 30 to a source of suction which may lead through a passageway provided in the plunger I6. The plate 30 carries a heating device composed of a pair of electrical resistance elements 33, 33 which are connected with a source of electricity by the wires 34 and which are controlled by a thermostat 35 to maintain the plate 30 at-a predetermined temperature.

Fitted in the. dove-tailed seat of the plate 30 is a dove-tailedmetal plate 36 Whose lower end of reduced area projects below the-bottom surface of the plate 30 and whose upper 1surface end of the recess 32 t0 form a suction chamber@V Extending throughgthe plate 36 are a multiplicity ofV transverse, vertically-disposed passageways 31 which lare in communication with the suction chamber and which terminate at the lower face of the `plate 36. Secured to plate 36, as by bolts 38, 38 is the metal plate 39 against which the label A is blown at the pick-up station I8 and which carries such label to the applying station. The plate 39 is provided with a plurality of transverse, vertically-disposed passageways 4U which extend therethrough and which are in alignment or registry with the passageways 31 in plate 36. Secured intermediate the metal plates 36 and 39 is a shim 4| made of any suitable metal, such as, aluminum, brass or bronze to enable it to function as a good heat conductor between the and shape of the label A. shown in Figs. 2 and 3, this providing the shim 4| replace shims 4| or 4|' having the exact size and configuration of the label A', as is indicated by the bell-shaped area shown in dotted outline in Fig. 3 oi' the drawings. In the shim 4|' shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, this is accomplished by providing the shim with a multiplicity of perforations 43 vwhich are contained within alignment passageways 31 such area.

It will be understood from the foregoing, that the plates 30, 36 and 39 and shim 4| are in heat conducting relation and that the heat of a predetermined temperature created by the resistance elements 33 and thermostat 35 in plate 30 will be transmitted by plate 36 and shim 4| to plate 39. It will be understood also, that the suction produced in the suction chamber formed by plates 30 and 36 will only be effective over that area of the under surface of plate 39 within which are contained the passageways 40 which are not blocked by the shim either because of a central cut-out 42 such as is provided in the shim 4| shown in Figs. 2 or 3 of the drawings, or because of the perforations 43, such as are provided in the shim 4| shown in Fig. -5 of the drawings. On the other hand, those passageways 46 of plate 39 which are outside of such area, will be disconnected from the suction chamber and the passageways 31 in plate 36 by the material of the shim. There is thus provided on the lower or under surface of plate 39, a suction effective area conforming in exact size and configuration to that of the label to be transferred. This area can be readily changed for other labels of difl'erent sizes and shapes by either modifying shims 4| and 4|', or by substituting for shims 4| or 4|', shims having cut-outs or perforated areas conforming in size and configuration to such other labels, it being only necessary to slidably remove the unit composed of plates 36 and 39 and shim 4|, remove bolts 38,

with a new shim, reassemble plates 36 and 39 with the new shim and replace the thus assembled unit on plate 30. Thus, the suction head |1v of this invention can bereadily adapted to transfer labels having a or registry with those and 40. that are contained within lwide variety of sizes or shapes simply by providing it with the proper constructed shims. The plate 39 is preferably of a size that its sheet contacting surface has a larger area than the surface area of the largest label which such plate is designed to carry. In order that such plate will eiectively perform its functions, it is necessary not only that its suction area be equally effective over al1 portions of the label, but that the thermoplastic adhesive coating on the label be activated over its active area before the label is applied to the article and during its transfer to such article. It has been found that these results are best accomplished by making the passageways 38 and 40 in plates 36 and 39, respectively, and the apertures in plate 4| as small as possible and as close as possible. Thus, good results were obtained by making such passageways and perforations of fty-one thousandths of an inch in diameter and spacing them onequarter of an inch from center to center. By providing a sixteen inch vacuum in the` suction chamber between plates 39 and 36 and maintaining the plate 30 heated at a temperature of 270 F., it was found that plates and shim provided with passageways and apertures of the indicated a bell-shaped area similar in size size and arrangement, would effectively transmit the labels and transform the thermo-activatable adhesive coatings thereof to the desired tackiness within the shortest possible time. With such a construction, at least approximately sixty labels per minute can be applied satisfactorily to articles.

It is believed that an understanding of. the operation of the invention will be obtained from the above description, but it might be advisable to point out that when a label A is blown into contact with the lower face of plate 39, the sucf tion effective at the lower ends of those passageways 40 which are not blocked olf by the shim 4l, will maintain such label accurately in place on the suction head I1. The carriage I is then shifted on the rail Il to bring the suction head l1 and the label A' held thereon by suction, to the label applying position. During the travel of the suction head I1 to the label applying position, the label is heated by plate 39 to adhesively activate the thermoplastic coating thereon. When the suction head l1 arrives at the label applying station, the member or plunger I6 is moved downwardly on the carriage l0 to bring the label A with its heat activated thermoplastic coating into surface engagement with the bottle or other article in place on the supporting means I9 at the time. The heat activated condition of the thermoplastic coating of the label causes the label to adhere to the article and at the proper moment the suction in the head I1 is cut oif.

The action of the head alone may be relied upon l to firmly press the label A into adhesive engagement with the article, or the initial deposit of the label on the article may be followed by pressure with the next label A' on the support 24, but is' brought back to a position where it is in spaced recovering relation to such support, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, in position to receive such label on the next discharge of air through the vents of surface 26 of support 24.

While I have hereinabove described preferred forms of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in such forms may be made without departing from ther spirit of the invention. Thus, instead of positioning the shim 4| between the plates 36 and' 39 in the manner shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, such shim may be placed over the lower face of the plate 39 in the manner shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. In such latter construction, the shim 45 may be attached to the plate 36 in any suitable manner, as by the bolts 46 and may form a support for the plate 39. The plate '39' may also be made integral with plate 36 in this form of the invention. Due to the extreme thinness of shim 45, it will function satisfactorily in this construction to transfer the label from the pick-up station to the label applying station in the manner previously described. Fig. 6 shows the plates 38' and 39' made in one integral plate 41 withthe shim 45' engaged with the lower face thereof. Fig. 6 also illustrates that the label engaging surface of the head l1 may have any form complementing the surface of the article to which the label is to be applied and in Til order that the application of the label to such article surface by the head I1 will be facilitated. Thus, the curved lower surface of the plate I1 and the curved body of the shim will improve the application of the label carried thereby to articles having rounded surfaces, such asl bottles. The shim 45 in Fig. 4 and the shim 45. in Fig. 6 may either be provided with a cut-out in the manner of shim 4i or be provided with a multiplicity of perforations inthe manner of shim 4I', to control the suction effective iarea on the outer or lower surfaces of such shims. In constructing a shim of the type of shim 4I', it is preferred that it be done by first securing the shim in an unperforated form in proper position on the suction head, then placing a label in proper pick-up position on the suction head, and then with the aid of a suitable tool perforating through both the label and the shim to provide in such shim the required perforations in registry with the air passageways which connect the label supporting surface of the suction head with the suction chamber 32 of such head. This simple procedure eliminates the close registry and exactness it would be necessary to exercise in providing suchperforations in the shim prior to its assembly on the suction head.

I claim:

1. In a machine for applying adhesive coated sheet material to articles, a suction transfer de- A vice having a sheet carrying surface, means adapted to create a suction condition over a certain area of such surface,'and selective means on said device for reducing and confining such condition of suction to a portion of said area less than the whole area, but large enough to support the entire sheet.

2. In a machine for applying adhesive coated sheet material to articles, a suction transfer device having a sheet carryingV surface, a multiplicity of air passageways terminating at such surface, said passageways being connected to a source of suction and arranged to create a suction condition over a certain area of such surface, and selective means for blocking certain of said passageways so as to confine such condition of suction to a portion of said area less than the whole area.

3. In a machine for applying adhesive coated sheet material to articles, a suction transfer device having a sheet carrying surface and having a chamber connected to a source of suction. a multiplicity of air passageways connecting the suction chamber with said surface and arranged to create a suction condition over a certain area of such surface, and a shim carried by said device and constructed and arranged to block certain of said passageways so as to confine such condition of suction to a portion of said area less than the whole area.

4. In a machine for applying adhesive coated sheet material to articles, a suction transfer device having a sheet carrying surface and having a chamber connected to a source of suction, said chamber overlying said surface and having an area in a plane parallel with said surface approximating the area of such surface, a multiplicity of air passageways connecting the suction chamber with said surface, said passageways being of relatively small diameter and in suiiicient number to create a suction condition over a certain areav of said surface, and a removable shim carried by said device and constructed and arranged to block certain of said passageways so as to confine such condition of suction to a portion of said area less than the whole area.

5. In a machine for applying adhesive coated sheet material to articles, a suction transfer device having a sheet carrying surface and comprising a body plate having an enlarged recess connected to a source of suction, a second plate removably connected to said body plate and having an inner surface forming with said recess a suction chamber, a multiplicity of air passageways formed in said second plate and being in communication with such chamber and said sheet carrying surface so as to enable the creation of a suction condition over a certain area of such surface, and a shim in engagement with y a surface of said second plateand constructed and arranged to block certain of said passageways so as to confine such condition of suction to a portion of said area less than the whole area.

S. In a machine for applying adhesive coated sheet material to articles, a suction transfer device including a body plate having a dove-tailed seat provided on its inner surface with an enlarged recess connected to a source of suction, a dove-tailed plate removably positioned in the seat of said body plate and having its inner surface forming with said recess a suction chamber, a third plate connected to said dove-tailed plate, saidlatter two plates having formed therein a multiplicity of aligned air passageways connecting the suction chamber with the outer surface of said third plate so as to enable the creation of a suction condition over a certain area of such outer surface, and a shim positioned intermediate said dove-tailed plate and said third platel and constructed to block certain `of said passageways so as to confine such condition of suction to a portion of said area less than the whole area.

7. A machine such as defined in claim 6, in which said body plate, dove-tailed plate and third plate are in heat conductive relation and includes means carried by said body plate for maintaining said plates at a predetermined temperature.

8. In a machine for applying adhesive coated sheet material to articles, a suction transfer device having a sheet carrying surface, said surface being of curved contour and having a certain area, means carried by said device adapted to' create a suction' condition over a portion of said surface area less than the whole area and suiicient to enable such surface to carry a sheet, and heating means carried by said said surface and thereby heatingy the carried sheet.

9. In a machine for applying thermo-activatable adhesive coated sheet material to articles, a suction transfer device having a sheet carrying surface, a multiplicity of air passageways terminating at such surface, said passageways being connected to a source of suction and arranged to create a suction condition over an area of such surface suillcient to support thereon a thermoactivatable adhesive coated' sheet to be carried, and means-carried by said device for heating said surface and the thermo-activatable adhesive coating on the sheet being carried, said passageways being of such minute diameter and device for heatingy arranged so closely together on said surface area that the sheet will be effectively held on said surface even though a portion of said passageways are only partially covered by the edges of the sheet, and so that the heat contained in the portions of said surface covered by said sheet will effectively and evenly activate the adhesive coating on the sheet over its entire area.'

10. In a machine for applying adhesive coated sheet material to articles, a suction transfer device having a plate providing a sheet carrying surface and having a chamber connected to a source of suction, a multiplicity of air passageways in said plate connecting said surface thereof with the suction chamber and arranged to create a suction condition over a certain area of such surface, and a shim carried by said device and constructed and arranged to block certain of said passageways so as to confine such condition of suction to a portion of said area less than the whole area, said shim being constituted of a relatively thin sheet of metal and containing a plurality of perforations in registry with said air passageways and located within an area of said shim substantially similar in shape to the area of the sheet to be carried.

11. In a machine for applying adhesive coated sheet material to articles, a suction transfer device having a sheet carrying surface and having a chamber connected to a source of suction, a multiplicity of air passageways connecting the suction chamber with said surface and arranged to create a suction condition over a certain area of such surface large enough to support the entire sheet to be carried, and selective means carried by said device and constructed and arranged to block certain of said passageways so as to confine such condition of suction to a portion of said area less than the whole area and having substanzially the same size and Aconfiguration as such shee 12. In a machine for applying adhesive coated eet material to articles, a suction transfer device having a sheet carrying surface and having achamber connected to a source of suction, a multiplicity of air passageways connecting the suction chamber with said surface and arranged to create a suction condition over a certain area of suchsurface large enough to support the entire sheet to be carried, and selective means carried by said device and located thereon intermediate said suction chamber andthe sheet to be carried by said device, said selective means being constructed and arranged to block certain o'f said passageways so as to confine such condition of suction to a portion of said area less than the whole area and having substantially the same size and configuration as such sheet.

GEORGE W. voN HOFE.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Von Hofe Oct. 27, 1942 Number 

